Page 118 - Socially-responsible-restructuring-Effective-strategies-for-supporting-redundant-workers

Socially responsible restructuring
Effective strategies for supporting redundant workers

ULRs cooperate with their colleagues, the employer and learning providers, often
helping identify access to funding as well as sourcing suitable courses.
The ULR conducted a training needs survey of union members on the site
over the period June-July 2009 and the results were analysed by the SIPTU
regional training coordinator and fed back to the local union. It demonstrated the
level of interest in training among the workforce, provided valuable indicators of
demand and laid the foundations for negotiations between the trade union and
the company that has led to the provision of 10 accredited courses provided by
the Ideas Institute with funding from the FÁS. This was part of a training
assessment and planning exercise for all employees, resulting in over 45 courses
and 1 800 training days being planned.
To involve all groups of workers in the information process surrounding the
closure, the company established a special ‘transition forum’ that of
representatives chosen by colleagues. The regular meeting gives the company
the opportunity to update the situation and take questions from the forum
members. The consultations and negotiations continue but, to date, have
established a basis for training and retraining support for all employees. This
consists of a maximum of 10 days training: a maximum of 7.5 days will be
covered by the company in terms of salary costs and, where needed, the
remaining 2.5 days will be taken as holiday entitlement or unpaid time off by the
employee. This gives the opportunity for short-term training in transferable skills
that should have some use in the wider labour market.
Conscious of the need to equip employees with as much recognition of their
experience as possible, the company plans a ‘certificate of training’ for each
employee that confirms all the training completed during their employment
period. The company would like to issue a nationally recognised qualification
recognising the acquired skills and experience of the staff but this is not possible
under the present national training and qualifications structure, which does not
provide for the recognition of prior learning in this way.
The company has negotiated a severance package, applicable to all
employees, that considerably enhances the statutory redundancy requirements,
though this will only be available at the time designated by the company for the
particular jobs finishing. For example, if an employee finds another job before
starting the official period of notice (two to three months) and decides to leave,
this will be interpreted as a voluntary quit and any entitlement to a redundancy
package will be forfeited. In this way the company can plan to maintain
production until the final stage of the closure, though the need to give support to
staff as soon as possible is recognised and measures have been taken in this
sense.

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